Improved sorting-machine



Uvrrnn STATES.

Pirrnivr` Ormea.

M. H. MERRTAM AND E. L. NORTON, OF GHARLESTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED SORTING-MACHINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,33 l, dated J une 5, 1866.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that we, M. H. MERRIAM and E. L.NORTON, both ofCharlestown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented au Improved Machine for Sorting Shoe-Binding Strips; and we do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of our invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

The invention relates to the manufacture of shoe-binding, and particularly to that one of the series of operations converting the skin into shoe-binding ribbon in which the strips of lea-ther cut from the skin are sorted into parcels according to thickness.

The invention consists in the combination, with contact-surfaces between which each strip is placed, of an index and index mechanism, operated by the movement of one of the contact-surfaces and indicating, through numbers, letters, or otherwise, the thickness of each strip passed between the surfaces also, the employmeut of feed-rollers for the contact-surfaces, one being movable with respect to the other, and the movable roll being connected 'with and operating the indicating mechanism 5 also, overhanging the rollers so as to bring them into convenient position with respect to the table over which the strips are introduced to the rolls; also, making the housings or frame in which the contact rolls or surfaces are mounted movable, so that the index or dial-pointer may be adjusted to the 0 or starting-point upon the dial. Y

A machine embodying the invention is represented in the drawings- Figure l showing a front elevation of it;

Fig. 2, a horizontal section taken in the line .al a., of the axis of the index-pointer; Fig. 3, a vertical transverse section taken on the line b b, between the rollers and index-stand, and looking toward the rollers.

a denotes a bed or platform having erected upon it a standard, b, for the support of housings for the shafts of two rollers, o d. c is a table so placed with respect to the rollers that the strip of leather can be guided overits shrface by hand until the rolls bite upon it, the lower roll being turned by any suitable power to cause the rolls to feed the material between them. The shaft of the lower roll rotates in stationary bearings, but the upper roll is journaled in a swing-frame, f, so that it may rise and fall, with respect to the lower roll,accord ing to the thickness ofthe material being passed between them, the upper roll being kept to the surface of the material by gravity or by suitable springs. From this frame f a lever, g, extends, as seen in Fig. l, the outer end of this lever being jointed by a connecting-rod, h, to a crank on a gear-wheel, t', this wheel meshing into and driving an index-wheel, 7c, carrying a pointer, l, the extentof vertical motion of the connecting-rod turning the wheel n, and through it the index-wheel lc, sufficiently to carry the pointer nearly round the dial or index-face m. This face has indicating-m arks to designate through themovementof the pointer the thickness of the material run through the rolls.

The frame which carries the rolls is made capable of vertical movement on the standard b, this movement being produced by au adjusting-screw, a', and permitting the lever-g to be elevated or depressed when the rolls are in contact, to bring the index-pointer opposite to the 0, or starting-point on the dial-face. For convenience in en teringthe strips between the contact-surfaces v'the rolls are overhung, as seen in the drawings.

When a strip is fed between the rolls the pointer will be carried round till it reaches the mark corresponding with the thickness of the material, and will vibrate opposite such mark, which will indicate to the attendant the general or average thickness of each strip, and enable her to parcel out the several strips according to the thickness of each, the strips not varying much in thickness along' the length of each, buthaving such variation with re.

spect to eachother as to render it necessary to grade them in parcels according to the thickness of each.

It will be obvious that a stationary edge or surface may be employed instead of the lower roll, and a vertically-moving edge instead of the upper one, the strip being fed through by hand or byonly oneroll; but the arrangement shown is considered preferable; or the strip may be placed upon a straight bed-piece, and a movable straight-edge brought down upon the strip, indicating at once through the index mechanism the general or average thickness of the strip.

We claimn 1. The comhination,with contact-surfacesbejustable as to hei tween which the strip of leather is placed or pointer to the starti passed, of an index mechanism operated by the movement of the movable contact-surface, substantially as set forth.

2. The employment of the feed-rollers, in combination with the index mechanism, one of the rollers operating the index by its movement, substantially as set forth.

3. Overhanging the rollers Which feed the material and operate the index mechanism.v

4. Makin g the rollers or the roller-frame adng-point of the dial'. In Witness whereof We have hereunto set our hands this 24th dayl ofv November, A. D.

M. H. MERRIAM.

Witnesses: E. L. NORTON.

J. B. CROSBY, FRANcIs GOULD.

ght, so as to' set the index 

